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WROCLAW, POLANDFull of whimsical buildings, great places to eat and an abundance of cute, little dwarves just waiting to be found around the streets, Wroclaw took a piece of my heart…

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I’m normally a sucker for warm, poolside sunbeds and sunshine destinations, but after vowing to explore more countries this year, I crossed a country off my list that had quite honestly never appealed to me previously: Poland  And it took me completely by surprise.

Attracted by an absolute bargain price (less than £100 for flights and 3 nights accommodation – yes please!), Kirsty Leanne and I found ourselves booking a random trip to a city we’d never even heard of – Wrocław. And whilst I was super excited for a girly break and discovering somewhere new, I didn’t realise just how much Wrocław would grab my heart and keep a firm hold of it long after I returned home.

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Normally, I would keep it cool and be all, “I’ll let my photos do the talking” 😎 – because pictures speak a thousand words, right? But I can’t. Because as beautiful as it all looks in the photos, they just do not do this breathtaking town justice.

Having finished work at 5.30pm and shooting straight home to pack my suitcase (last minute, as always!), my journey to Wrocław began with a late night train ride, an Uber journey in the early hours of the morning and an airport all-nighter. A Gregg’s breakfast buttie soon sorted me out, and before we knew it, we were landing in Wrocław and jumping in a taxi to head to the Airbnb apartment we’d booked. (Click here if you want £30 off your first Airbnb stay, by the way!)

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And I soon discovered it’s not pronounced ‘row-claw’, but instead rolls off the tongue beautifully as ‘vrots-swaf’, which sounds way cooler.

Nestled in the heart of Wrocław, our apartment overlooked the old town Market Square, giving us generous views of the whimsical coloured houses, the happy people ambling around and the magnificent town hall which stood proudly in the centre.

And that’s where my love affair with Wrocław began.

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[pipdig_left][/pipdig_left][pipdig_right]Have you ever looked at something and you get that tickly feeling just beneath your heart and your cheeks involuntarily raise because a shy smile is spreading across your face?

That’s exactly what happened to me the minute I first took in the scenes from our balcony.

The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue, which added to the magical effect of the rainbow houses and cute alleyways.

And the fact that I’d done an all-nighter and was deathly tired and it was highly like that I looked like utter crap? Totally forgotten.

As we started exploring, we found there were more and more candy coloured buildings around every corner, quaint cafés serving an array of foods from around the world lined the paths, bright flower stalls held flowers of every colour imaginable and beautiful souvenir shops were never far from reach, all holding an assortment of mementos.

Cars can’t get into the market square and so even on the busiest days there was an enchanting peacefulness about it.[/pipdig_right]

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[pipdig_left]Buskers stood on various corners playing soft and fun music which made for the perfect background sound to accompany the beautiful backdrop of houses, graffiti artists created magical landscape art before our eyes, locals gathered to display and sell their handmade statues and souvenirs, and – my favourite part – people stood on the side of paths blowing rainbow rimmed bubbles into the wind for people to walk through, observe and enjoy.

Walking through a quiet, multicoloured town with backing music and bubbles floating through your path…

Does it get more magical than that?!

As if it’s not charming enough already for you, Wrocław is also home to 165 dwarfs which are scattered throughout the intricate streets, and hiding in plain sight, waiting to be discovered by anyone who crosses their paths.

Combine that with the fact there are an abundance of sleek restaurants, plenty of panoramic views, a huge zoo, numerous stunning cathedrals and, yes, a Sephora, and you have yourself the perfect location for a long weekend away with plenty to do.[/pipdig_left][pipdig_right][/pipdig_right]

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It’s a city I knew little about before arriving, but it’s one I certainly won’t forget; Wrocław was astonishingly beautiful and far exceeded any expectations I could have had. A small piece of my heart was left there in the market square and I plan on returning before the year’s out. (Not to collect the piece of heart I left, but to leave another with it. ❤️)

Have you visited Wrocław before?